Thursday, July 28, 2011

It's all about the yarn

brown scarf 1

My latest knitting project is all about the yarn. I was fortunate enough to have a skein - 111 metres - of 1funkyknitwit's unique corespun yarn. The core seems to be a rich browny natural fleece that has then been spun with all sorts of seemingly random bits of wool and silk and fleece and sparkly stuff. I've described these bits as seemingly random because when you look at the outcome you realise that this mixture and balance could only have been achieved by someone with the unerring eye for colour and tonalities that 1funkyknitwit possesses.

brown scarf 2

I knew I wanted to use this yarn to produce a wearable outcome and so I decided to make a scarf. I wear scarves all the time. I like the yarn so much that I didn't want it gradually moving to the bottom of my (very large) pile of scarves because it was too hard to wear and so wanted something I could just throw on rather than something I had to 'style'. I was also sensible enough to realise that I needed a very simple stitch pattern to highlight the yarn. The process of achieving the final outcome reinforced for me all the reasons I'm not a knitwear designer. I actually knitted this four times. First, I had in mind a kind of rhomboid shape so there would be asymmetrical tails to the scarf but, when it was finished it was just too hard to wear in any way that looked natural. Then I decided to broadly copy a scarf 1funkyknitwit had made and knitted a rectangle in moss stitch. But somehow I misjudged the proportions of the length and width and it just didn't work. Then I tried a Baktus in garter stitch, but the designer of this pattern is right - it works best in fine yarns and somehow my finished product looked skimpy. Finally, after much trawling through Ravelry I found Jane Richmond's free pattern for her Mustard Scarf, and this is the final outcome. It's a simple pattern of a row of knit two together, then a yarnover, followed by a row of plain knitting.

brown scarf 3

I've finished the scarf with an old button I bought from Peppergreen Antiques in Berrima when I was, most fittingly, accompanied by 1funkyknitwit. I hope my knitting has done justice to her yarn.

8 comments:

jp said...

Looks fabulous.

Lynne said...

Ah, so I am not the only knitter to use the same yarn for different projects until I find the right one! LOL

Lovely, Lyn.

Anonymous said...

Looks great in the photos, and even better in real life - love it!

Rose Red said...

The button is fab, especially with the red stitching! And I will second that it is even better in person!

1funkyknitwit said...

You've found the perfect pattern for this yarn Lyn, and the button detail works so well with it. Having seen this on you, I know what a wonderful job you did design- wise and in wearing it, all in the the only way you know how to - all with panache and style !
I love what you've created :D

Unknown said...

It certainly cuts the mustard Lynne. A wonderful unique piece, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Anonymous said...

oh yes, justice done. it looks great, and how great is that button!

Probably Jane said...

Utterly stylish!